LOS ANGELES, April 6 (UPI) -- Los Angeles Dodgers all-star closer Eric Gagne will have surgery on his right elbow, the team announced Thursday.
The Dodgers said the operation -- Gagne's second on the elbow within one year -- was to remove the nerve that was repositioned his in 2005 surgery. The team did not disclose a timetable for his return.
Gagne pitched in just 14 games last season due to a right elbow injury. He is scheduled to undergo surgery Friday at the Kerwin-Jobe Clinic in Los Angeles.
Gagne has a 1.83 ERA over the past four seasons -- the best in the majors during that time among pitchers with at least 200 innings. He holds the big league record with 84 straight saves from August 28, 2002, to July 3, 2004.
Gagne's 55 saves in 2003 are tied for the NL record and second-most in major league history.
The Dodgers -- who open a three-game series at Philadelphia on Friday -- said they would purchase the contract of right-hander Takashi Saito on Friday to take Gagne's place on the roster.
